It's one of scariest times of the year. With Halloween now only days away, it's time to turn on the TV and find what will tingle your spine and make you have nightmares for nights on end. Among the most iconic of the horror-themed entertainment is The Simpsons' annual Treehouse of Horror anthology series; where pop culture meets violence and surrealism with hilarious results. Over the next six days, join me as I count down all 78 of the current installments from the absolute worst (That's bad), to the absolute best (That's good) of the golden years; with a very unlucky 13 entries at a time. Who will come out on top? Well, there's only one way to find out. Click the button below, if you dare.
26. "Homer's Nightmare (If I Only Had a Brain)"
Episode: II
The One About: Mr. Burns uses Homer's brain to create his own intelligent robot.
The Good: It's a nice play on Frankenstein. The closing credits reveal an equally intriguing story involving Mr. Burns' head grafted onto Homer's body. The way that the robot thinks exactly as Homer does, but in a more destructive manner is brilliant.
The Bad: While not a terrible idea within the segment, the final reveal breaks continuity with the rest of the episode. Where we don't see Homer with Mr. Burns' grafted head in the wraparound segment, it is suddenly seen for a shocking reveal. While it is a dream, the point of view is a little confusing, as it's more of a dream that Mr. Burns would have than Homer.
25. "It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse"
Episode: XIX
The One About: Millhouse meets the Grand Pumpkin, proceeds to offend it.
The Good: It's a segment that lampoons Peanuts effectively by incorporating music and characteristics into the regular animation. Homer carving pumpkins as the Grand Pumpkin watches subverts expectations nicely. Marge playing a horn and telling the audience that they don't care that they ruined a holiday classic is one of the boldest, most divisive, things they've ever done.
The Bad: While the Grand Pumpkin story ends well enough, it automatically goes after Thanksgiving with a turkey character. Where the pumpkin jokes actually had weight, Milhouse goes straight for the dumbest ones in the final minutes. Telling a turkey to carve a turkey, on Halloween, is tacky and uninspired.
24. "Life's a Glitch, Then You Die"
Episode: X
The One About: Homer's negligence at work causes the world to blow-up.
The Good: A loving ode to how ridiculous Y2K was supposed to be. The various musician jokes, especially the Rat/Poison/Quiet Riot routine is great riffing on New Years Eve shows. Dick Clark's ingenious cameo as a robot, which is a nice play on his eternal teenager reputation. The inventive ways that electronic machinery attacks people. Homer's fake Rod Serling comments, like "Wonders, Lisa, or Blunders?" The fact that Homer is to blame for all of this.
The Bad: While it makes sense to save the smart people from the world's implosion, why rescue the lesser celebrities just to shoot them into the sun? It makes for a fun gag summarizing the worst celebrities at the turn of the century, but is inevitably pointless. Also, would audiences today be able to appreciate the Y2K paranoia that was prevalent in all of our late 90's media?
23. "Four Beheadings and a Funeral"
Episode: XV
The One About: Lisa investigates murders done by the Muttonchops Murderer.
The Good: It's a solid Sherlock Holmes parody. The jokes involving Ralph Wiggum's addiction to opium are great. "We British sure eat crap." Homer tossing addicts in the opium den. The story actually wraps up in a comprehensible way. Even the dreamlike conclusion is brilliantly absurd in the best ways possible. The constant exaggeration of British language is fun.
The Bad: The ending in which Chief Wiggum escapes by air balloon is fine, but having Kang and Kodos crash into it feels a little too sporadic and meant just to wrap up the episode.
22. "Terror at 5 1/2 Feet"
Episode: IV
The One About: Bart notices a creature destroying the side of the bus.
The Good: It's a faithful parody of The Twilight Zone episode with William Shatner. "Krusty poses for trading card photo." Homer's reasoning for taking someone's boat supplies. Uter's various foreign snacks (Mit iodine!). Milhouse's reasoning for not looking out the window, including the dreaded rear admiral. Otto running over Moleman because he mistakes him for the creature.
The Bad: The surreal ending in which Bart is crazy, but he also may not be based on comments that Skinner makes. Also, the random death of Ned is a strange and anticlimactic way to end the episode.
21. "The Terror of Tiny Toon"
Episode: IX
The One About: Bart and Lisa get sucked into the TV, entering a cartoonish, homicidal world.
The Good: Best opening line to a segment ever is when Krusty says "Tonight, I'm going to suck." Homer not realizing that he's dressed as a hobo, then proceeding to play the harmonica is great. The cartoon physics are inspired. The fact that Itchy and Scratchy are more sympathetic about pain than Bart and Lisa are. The cameo by Regis Philbin fit surprisingly well. Running over Poochie just because he's there. The revelation that Itchy and Scratchy are too small to cause problems in the real world. The sign "To Protect and Sever."
The Bad: Whenever Poochie is not on screen, the other characters are not asking each other "Where's Poochie?"
20. "Attack of the 40 ft. Eyesores"
Episode: VI
The One About: Various billboards come to life after Homer steals the Lard Lad donut.
The Good: The Lard Lad seeks revenge by accidentally destroying Ned's house. The Zip Boys being unable to keep their heads up straight, causing the owner to complain about them scratching the paint. Everything involving Paul Anka's cameo. The underlying message of anti-consumerism.
The Bad: The finale is strange, considering that Lard Lad was initially a rampaging monster. Yet he tries to tempt Homer into looking at his donut. The general conceit doesn't entirely make sense, because there's likely a lot of points in the first act where people weren't looking at the advertisements.
19. "The Ned Zone"
Episode:XV
The One About: Ned can foresee people's deaths.
The Good: It has a great morality tale in Ned trying to avoid people's deaths. The cleverness with how the deaths actually happen. The heightened tension when he saves Homer's life a few too many times. The apocalypse happening because of Ned's misunderstood message to Homer in the nuclear power plant. The recurring gag of Homer trying to get his Frisbee. The fact that the garage made it to heaven just because Homer didn't clean it.
The Bad: Homer's a little too antagonistic about his death. The stumbling that leads to the world's end is a little much.
18. "Dial M for Murder, or Press # to Return to Main Menu"
Episode: XX
The One About: Lisa becomes nervous when Bart expects her to kill a teacher.
The Good: This is essentially an excuse to throw in dozens of Alfred Hitchcock parodies, including a cameo. It's also rooted in the plot of Strangers on a Train, which gives it levity. The relief that Lisa has when she discovers that she killed Bart instead of a teacher.
The Bad: It's maybe a little too manic and convenient plot-wise. This is more of an excuse to celebrate the strange and wonderful world of Hitchcock than deal with a murder mystery story.
17. "The Thing and I"
Episode: VII
The One About: Bart discovers that he has an evil twin.
The Good: Hugo is a great character. The pigeon-rat hybrid is brilliant. Homer thinking that he saw Hugo at the airport boarding a plane to Switzerland is great, if just because he didn't do anything else about it. Bart and Hugo's origin story is intriguing. Dr. Hibbert punching Hugo in the face after making him look into a mirror-less frame. The revelation that the bad twin was Bart. Hugo eating his napkin and everyone laughing at it.
The Bad: If Bart was the bad one, think about Marge's body. As a baby, the bad twin liked to bite things. So, does that mean that her body is ravaged with scars? Also, the reveal of how Bart is the evil twin is unbelievable.
16. "Nightmare Cafeteria"
Episode: V
The One About: Springfield Elementary begins murdering children to sell as meat
The Good: The running jokes about Uter are great. The lack of care that the parents have for the murdering is great. The conclusion in which Bart wakes up from a dream is also great. The final song parody is one of the strangest, greatest moments in the show's history.
The Bad: While I understand that gore and violence is part of the segment's charm, it takes a little away. While the conclusion is inevitably brilliant, the transition between the dream and the reality is not. It's not a bad episode, but it doesn't have much to offer besides adults murdering children, which is weird in both good and bad ways.
15. "Night of the Dolphin"
Episode: XI
The One About: Dolphins seek to overthrow Springfield
The Good: It's the greatest, weirdest segment that the show has ever produced. The Free Willy gag is a nice twist. The dolphins complain about being treated like common seals. The Sea Captain having the answers, only to be killed is a fun, brief gag. Dolphins performing a military march is brilliant. The dolphins complaining about how the humans ruined the ocean adds levity to the conflict. The dolphins win the day. One of the dolphin's name is Snorky.
The Bad: If you can't get on board with sadistic dolphins killing people, then I truly feel sorry for you. Yes, it's probably a little too violent and profane (A glory hole reference. Really?), but it's still too bizarre not to love.
14. "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace"
Episode: VI
The One About: Groundskeeper Willie kills children in their sleep.
The Good: The strangely surreal opening animation. "Do not touch Willie. Good advice." The origin story of Willie's demise, including the introduction of Smarch. Pushing a dead Martin into the Kindergartener's classroom only to have them shriek. Maggie saving the day with her pacifier. Willie confusingly coming back to life at the end while missing the bus and losing his shoe.
The Bad: Those parents are a little mad at Willie for no reason. Maggie saving the day was maybe a tad too convenient.
UP NEXT: The top 13 is finally upon us.
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